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Out Of Place by Edward W. Said
Out Of Place by Edward W. Said
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Out of Place: A Memoir
by Edward W. Said
🌍 POST-COLONIAL STUDIES & MEMOIR
A profound exploration of displacement, cultural identity, and the formative years of one of the twentieth century's most influential intellectuals.
Extended Synopsis
In Out of Place—Edward W. Said provides an extraordinary record of a world that no longer exists. Spurred by a fatal medical diagnosis in 1991, Said embarked on a journey to document his childhood and youth in the Arab world. The memoir meticulously reconstructs his early years in Jerusalem, Cairo, and Lebanon, juxtaposing the vibrant, "lost" landscapes of the East with his eventual transition to the United States for boarding school and university.
Central to the narrative is the profound "dissonance" Said experienced as he navigated the conflicting identities of being a Palestinian, a Christian, and an American citizen. This internal displacement—of always feeling "out of place"—serves as the genesis for his later intellectual breakthroughs in post-colonial theory and his critique of Western perceptions of the East. Through witty and passionate prose, Said introduces a cast of rich characters and complex family dynamics, revealing how the confusion of his youth ultimately shaped the rigorous mind behind Orientalism.
Author Biography
Edward W. Said (1935–2003) was a world-renowned University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. A leading public intellectual, he was a foundational figure in post-colonial studies and a tireless advocate for Palestinian rights. His work, characterized by its interdisciplinary depth, has had a transformative impact on the fields of literary criticism, history, and political science.
Reader Targeting
- Scholars of Post-Colonialism: Academics looking to understand the personal history behind Said’s theoretical frameworks.
- History & Middle Eastern Studies Enthusiasts: Readers interested in the cultural and social landscape of mid-twentieth-century Palestine, Egypt, and Lebanon.
- Biography Lovers: Individuals drawn to high-caliber memoirs that examine themes of exile, identity, and intellectual development.
Accolades & Awards
- Winner of the New Yorker Book Award for Non-Fiction.
- Praised by The New York Times as a "moving, often profound" depiction of a great modern thinker's genesis.
- Celebrated as one of the most important intellectual memoirs of the late twentieth century.
Product Specifications
| ISBN-13: | 9780679730675 |
| ISBN-10: | 0679730672 |
| Publisher: | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Edition: | 1 |
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Edward Said is a storyteller. He engages us from the start. His style is direct and intimate, full of observations and response without being silly or sentimental. A master of memoir.